Sweetest Song - A Carmilla Ficlit
by Avery Chase
Summary: Promised I wouldn't but I couldn't help it. Everything is canon. Fluff filler for Season 1 finale. Some romantic angst.


Sweetest Song

-Just before LaF walked in. We all saw that bedspread-

Title from Jessie Ware "Sweetest Song"

Laura was certain her entire body was on fire. Every hair stood on end, her mind had gone completely blank, her heart exploded. Maybe she died. Maybe she hadn't done anything to The Dean and she was actually dead and this was heaven and Carmilla smelled really really really good, was a fantastic kisser and turned into a big cat.

"So, you're…a giant cat." Smooth Hollis.

Carmilla, bless that stupid face, brightens with a smile that doesn't drip with sarcasm. She takes a step back, chuckling to herself as she processes the question. She'll answer it, she will but right now, she doesn't want to talk. She brushes Laura's cheek with the back of her right hand, that smile never leaving her face as she pulls Laura back in for another kiss, slower, more deliberate as she felt the tip of Laura's tongue slide along her top lip. For a naïve provincial girl, Laura was very fond of French kissing.

Carmilla's grip was polite, gentle and her fingers dug into the fabric of her shirt. Laura found herself almost disappointed that she hadn't been more…_handsy? _Then again, 300 years had taught her patience and restraint. She felt herself being tugged onto the bed, her bed, Carmilla pulling her forward into her, careful to not break the contact. Laura giggled into the kiss, breaking it and tucking her face into the hollow of Carmilla's neck. She smelled like herself, leather and dirt.

"I thought…" she shimmied down along Carmilla's body, tucking herself between Carmilla and the wall. She draped her right arm across her torso, her fingers tangling into the fabric of her battered black t-shirt. She listened for a moment, the distant lub thub of her heart under her ear.

"I know what you thought." Carmilla finished, her right arm looped around Laura, cocooning her protectively. "Kinda thought the same thing."

"You did?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I drove a sword into a giant ball of light. How was I supposed to know what it was gonna do?" she shrugged, staring wistfully at the ceiling, her thumb drawing lazy circles against Laura's hip.

"What was it like?" Laura asked, moving closer, careful not to squeeze any part of her that may be bruised. She instantly wanted to kiss every patch of skin

"Like sticking a fork in an electrical socket." Carmilla smirked. She kissed the top of Laura's head. She smelled fresh, like lavender and she caught herself inhaling deeply. "So it sucked."

"What happened?"

Carmilla shrugged, the corner of her lips tugged into a smile as she felt Laura nestle closer to her, her fingertips brushing against a patch of skin. "I guess that sword really did the trick. It was blinding light then…" she shrugged. "Nothing. Then I woke up here." She smiled and kissed Laura's forehead. "I don't even know how long I was out for."

"Too long." Whispered Laura, her fingers still tangled in the shirt, twirling the fabric around her index finger. "I'm sorry about your mother."

"I'm not."

Laura tilted her head up, capturing Carmilla's lips, pulling her closer, her right leg hitching up against Carmilla, her hand freeing itself from the hem of Carmilla's shirt and tugging at the collar, bunching it into her fist as she deepened the kiss. "I didn't think I'd see you again." Laura's face hovered inches away from Carmilla's her eyes taking in every detail. "You did this huge thing and…part of me wished you hadn't because you were gone."

"And if you were dead instead?"

"I died doing something big."

Carmilla rolled her eyes. "So what makes you think I'd be fine with you jumping into a pit to your untimely demise?"

Laura shrugged.

"You were my very last thought."

"Funny. You were my very first."

Carmilla's head cocked to the side, squinting at Laura as she toyed with the collar of Carmilla's shirt. "How so?"

Laura nodded towards her computer. "I guess you watched it?" Carmilla nodded, studying Laura as she fished for words. "I wanted to tell you, a few times actually I wanted to tell you in person but…it felt too soon. While I was recording everything I couldn't bring myself to say something so intimate, so I kinda just… Han Solo'd it. When we got to the basement and Will and the vampires were there…I kept telling myself in the middle of everything that I had to tell you. You had to know. When I saw you go over the edge…I thought I missed my chance."

"You text Danny in all that mess." Carmilla groused, softly poking Laura in the ribs to break her from her reverie. "On that ancient phone no less."

Laura's eyebrows shot up. "Ancient? Really? Coming from you? You never gave me your number, so how would I know to throw the Batsignal up for you?"

"Look who's become princess snark. Slander against your elders…" she tickled Laura again, pulling her closer, kissing her again. "You never asked, cutie."

"Never saw you with a phone."

Carmilla chuckled, a low throaty laugh that weakened Laura's knees. She was glad they were laying in bed, she was almost certain that she would've buckled with how good it felt to be here, especially in the aftermath of everything.

"I couldn't sleep. I kept hoping you'd sweep into the room, covered in dirt and blood and…"

"I was swept in by Danny covered in dirt…" that smirk returned.

"I didn't think you'd kiss me."

"Oh so I managed to surprise you?"

Laura nodded. She closed her eyes and rest her head on Carmilla's shoulder, the weight of everything that had happened in the past few months seeming to melt away. She didn't care that Carmilla still smelled like dirt and still hadn't told her everything that happened, like how and where she got the sword or the whole cat thing but right now, she could wait for the answer. She kissed Carmilla's collarbone, tucking herself against the taller woman and wrapping her free arm around her, holding her tight. "I know you probably slept enough for a lifetime but…"

Carmilla nodded, obliging as Laura tucked herself into her side, her right hand still fisting the collar of her shirt. "I'll be here when you wake up."

_She watched Laura sleep. _

_It was almost a ritual. She would record her video, make a comment about the amount of hair in the shower drain, or the dirty dishes, or the fact that her yellow pillow was always missing. She would lay down, facing the wall sometimes, other times, staring at her while she got dressed to go out. She could feel the displeasure in her gaze, those green eyes sliding down her shoulders, her spine, making her feel self-conscious for the first time in forever. She would leave, pick up something to eat and come back within three hours. She would read for a bit, listening to the sounds of the dorm, the old wood creaking as students padded around. Closing the book and switching off the light, she watched Laura sleep. _

_It wasn't the first time that she had done so, spending most of her nights awake, watching her, protecting her from the very thing she feared, the thing she brought to the campus. She crept around the room, careful not to disturb anything as she sat at the side of the bed, knees up against her chest, cradling her head in her arms as she kept watch. She didn't know what it was about this girl. If she had seen her on campus, she wouldn't remember anything about her. If she hadn't wound up in this room, she would've never noticed her she was ordinary, a generic face in the crowd even and yet here she was, curled up alongside her bed, keeping watch. _

_She liked the pillow. She'd take it because it smelled like her and while she was off in class, she slept so much better with the stupid thing tucked under her head or cradled in her arms. She thought about how her smaller frame would fit up against hers, wondering if she'd want to be the big spoon or the little spoon, if she was a blanket hog or if she'd spend the entire time tucked against her. She liked to dream about it and she liked to dream about her._

_She hadn't worn the bracelet. She knew she wouldn't but she had to try. Somehow, this girl had come to mean a lot to her. She confessed her past, her darkest sins, showing her broken heart to this girl while she performed some ridiculous puppet show. She hadn't expected to see her heart break when the realization sank in, that she was telling the truth and in that truth she'd found she was freer the moment the words left her mouth. She didn't treat her like she was some poor broken creature; she treated her like she was just another person, lost in the world, trying to find their way around. She found herself enamored with her, the way she saw things, the optimism, the hope, the belief that they could defeat the evil she'd brought to the campus._

_They waltzed. Some form of it anyway. She smelled good. Sweet. Honest. Pure. She smelled better scandalously close to her. Her hands were small, delicate, soft as their fingers intertwined, her eyes sparkling in the lamplight. She was breathtaking. _

_Then she yawned. She remembered Perry was still crashed out on her bed, dealing with heartache of her own. She offered her bed up, mumbling something about vampire comforts and her back before ambling off to the bathroom. She braced her palms on the sides of the sink, her head bowed low as she tried to find a way to fix the damage she'd caused in being part of all this. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. _

"_Worst crush ever…"_

_ She spent the night watching over her, exhaustion creeping in before she finally lay down on the hardwood floor and let sleep take her as sunlight slowly crept in. She could hear them talking over her, about her and she dragged herself upright. She knew they had a plan and the closer they get to solving it, the closer she was to losing her. _

_ Danny was always around, LaF and Perry, constantly barging into the room when she'd found her courage to strike up a conversation that wasn't about her mother, about being a vampire, or about the disappearing girls. She watched them talk for hours on her bed and when she couldn't take it, she'd pack up and leave, seething with anger. She would feed, careful not to leave a mess and stalk the grounds, hating how simple it was for her to talk to the redhead as though she wasn't there. _

_She ran headfirst into danger._

_She was glad Danny was there, resentment aside. _

_She was upset that she couldn't be there and secretly cheered when they fought about her safety and Danny realized that she didn't need saving or protecting and that girl she'd been spending all night watching stood up for herself. She smirked into her book as Danny stormed off._

_That small delicate hand caressed her cheek but that light wasn't there. She stared deep into green eyes that had gone black, cold, filled with her mother's arctic demeanor. She wore her like a tailored suit, mocked her for thinking that she could stop what was to come. Reminding her that she'd failed Elle and she'd fail this one too. _

"_Catch…"_

_She ripped that necklace off, her hand burning from the contact and tossed it away from her, her heart smashing in her chest with fear. She didn't know what that thing was going to do to her, had done to her. Those eyes opened and it was all she could do to keep herself from kissing her. She was back and she was right to protect this girl at all costs. Whatever the trio came up with that needed to be done, she would do it, to the ends of the Earth and beyond if she needed to. She was going to protect this woman. She was going to make everything right._

_She wasn't expecting the last video. The horror of knowing she was running off into danger, into the madness she'd brought onto the campus and she had no idea where to find her. Her blood ran cold. Her mother mocked her through her, told her that she wasn't capable of doing anything, she didn't know if she was able to handle that sword but all of that doubt, all of that fear disappeared with the fear that this woman had just banded together a rag tag bunch of mortals to stop the Light. As she and Danny, of all people, raced towards the Lustig, she couldn't help the hysterical laughter that erupted from her. Two knights were off to do battle for her hand, her heart and her survival. She wrenched the sword free, proud of the fact that the damn thing hadn't burned her hand off. _

_She dragged her away from the edge of the pit, aware that she had never actually explained she was a shifter but she would, once everything settled down. _

_She drove that blade down right and true and had never seen light like this. Then nothing._

_Then those eyes._

_Those beautiful green eyes._

"_That was a kick."_

_ She was babbling. It was adorable. She was convinced that it was a grand gesture that didn't need to happen and she continued rambling while she pulled her close and shut her up. She was aggressive. She liked the way she slipped her tongue into her mouth, exploring and eager, gentle and hungry. She loved the way she felt under her hands, the way she felt anchored to the world after so many years of aimless wandering. _

Carmilla rolled onto her side, propping her head up and watching her sleep. She ran her fingers through her hair, combing it out and breathing her in. She didn't need to protect her, not anymore, but she wanted to care for her. She wanted to court her, earn her despite feeling like she had her without even trying. She couldn't help it. She kissed her shoulder, running her lips along her pulsepoint, a low growl in her throat.

Laura stirred and yawned, rubbing her face with her hands. She'd rolled over in her sleep, facing the wall and was pleased to feel strong arms wrapped around her, blushing at the sensation of Carmilla's lips along her shoulder. She shifted to face Carmilla, aware that she had mid-afternoon nap breath but she kissed her full on the mouth anyway. "Hey."

"Hey."

"Did you sleep?"

"Nope."

"You were watching me?"

"Yes."

Laura blushed and ducked her head down. "Was I drooling?"

"No."

Laura stared at her skeptically, sitting up and staring at the clock. "I've got to get up…"

"Why? What's the rush?" Carmilla's eyebrow arched with amusement. "Somewhere else you'd rather be?"

She picked up her yellow pillow and smacked Carmilla in the face with it before leaping out of bed and running to the bathroom. Carmilla held the pillow to her face, inhaling deeply.

They lounged in bed, fingertips trailing along inner wrists, soft kisses exchanged and longing gazes. Carmilla wasn't a prude but she was going to do this right, by her count, just being in bed with Laura like this violated every kind of protocol she'd been raised with. Every time she meant to pull away, Laura would move closer, caress her cheek and suddenly she just needed to kiss her longer, hold her tighter, brush her lips along her shoulders. She kept her hand firmly against Laura's lower back, her thumb grazing a patch of skin and she immediately felt a rush. She kissed Laura hard, nipping her bottom lip and gently tugging as she pulled her closer.

Carmilla pressed her forehead against Laura's, trying to steady her heartrate. "We should get out of bed…"

"Somewhere else you'd rather be?"

"Well. I do have to shower…"

"Carm…"

"Alone. I have to shower alone." She slid out of bed and locked herself in the bathroom.

LaF's words were coming at a mile a minute. They stared at Carmilla and Laura as though they were waiting for a lightbulb to appear between them.

She hadn't done anything to stop the Light that Devours and may have even made her mother stronger. Her grip on Laura's hand tightened. She couldn't possibly be thinking they could take this on again. They exchanged glances.

She'd done all this and still hadn't finished what she started.

She wanted to get away from her mother, wanted a life of her own, friends of her own and in this very moment, she realized that she had done it. She had everything and she was determined to keep it.


End file.
